Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre but maybe it's just me
Review: I really wasn't too impressed with this work with respect to either content or quality of writing. I would recommend this as good introductory material to people who don't pursue stargazing or amateur astronomy at all. But for those of you with at least a good appreciation for the night sky: you've likely read or heard most of this stuff before. It seemed to me like a book version of a Discovery channel TV show about space: diluted for mass consumption, overly dramatic in some parts, containing mostly basic information that enthusiasts of the hobby already know, and in general leaving a lot to be desired.I don't intend to make this review come across as scathingly negative. After all, I did give it three stars. There were a few interesting bits of information, e.g. speculation on the African Dogon tribe's knowledge of Sirius' companion. I was simply expecting more from a book that got great reviews otherwise, and what I read was decidedly "average"! Your money is better spent elsewhere. For the amateur or even very-interested layman, I would recommend Burnham's Celestial Handbook as a near-perfect melding of technical data on celestial objects and wonderfully descriptive notes. That three-volume work is simply a requirement for every stargazer's library.
Rating: 
Summary: falls between the introductory and the advanced
Review: I've been on an astronomy roll lately -- this book is not easily categorized. It's not like the excellent intro books like Dickerson's Nightwatch, but it's also not the advanced format of a good star atlas. Its conversational style is very funny in parts with a healthy reverence for the cosmos. It serves as a nice complement to intro-intermediate books because of its wide range of coverage. He picks out his favorite sights (Betelgeuse, Sirius, the Harvest Moon (most people dont' know what it really is!), the Orion Nebula, etc... and provides an in-depth historical and scientific account of each. It's easy enough for a beginner, but even an advanced astronomer will learn something new. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.
Rating:
Summary: falls between the introductory and the advanced
Review: I've been on an astronomy roll lately -- this book is not easily categorized. It's not like the excellent intro books like Dickerson's Nightwatch, but it's also not the advanced format of a good star atlas. Its conversational style is very funny in parts with a healthy reverence for the cosmos. It serves as a nice complement to intro-intermediate books because of its wide range of coverage. He picks out his favorite sights (Betelgeuse, Sirius, the Harvest Moon (most people dont' know what it really is!), the Orion Nebula, etc... and provides an in-depth historical and scientific account of each. It's easy enough for a beginner, but even an advanced astronomer will learn something new. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent outline of astronomy without unnecessary jargon
Review: It takes real talent to write on a subject which ostensibly requires much technical know-how, including some pretty esoteric, advanced math, so that we non-mathemeticians/physicists can understand it. Berman, who now writes an excellent column in "Astronomy" magazine, excels at that talent. My interest in astronomy began when I was young. I was already in high school when I realized I'm probably too lazy to reach the academic levels necessary (double major physics & math before extensive graduate programs) to become a professional in the field. But the interest is still there. This book stimulated that interest anew. Indeed, while watching a sci fi epic the other night, I pulled the book out again to look up Berman's description of a "quasar." Berman is also so very practical. While we have fantasies, born of popular sci fi series, of interstellar travel, he points out, in very practical terms, that at our present technology, if we left for, say Alpha Centauri, and the technology of, say 100 years from now doubled the speed of our ship leaving today, those departing on the future flight would pass us, thereby making our departure of today not a little absurd. Oh, he also slips some humor into the text. It's not frivolous sort of "Idiot's Guide" trite humor but charm to make the text all the more readable. In summary, I like the book so much, I already have Berman's "sequel," which I'll start soon. I recommend his "Astronomy" column too, but for now, read this one. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Writing Style!
Review: The best about this book it its writing style, easy to read and somewhat funny, since it is full of witty remarks by the author. The problem is that it is not the best guide to stargazing. If you are desperate to do it, choose another one. This one is more like a first approach, combined with lots of interesting curiosities, a good choice if you are considering studying astronomy and want to take your time or if you are reading everything about the subject. It needs some updating and the illustrations could be better. I bought it because someone told it also contemplated the southern hemisphere, but actually there is little information about it.
Rating:
Summary: Great author.
Review: This book is one of the most informative and entertaining I have ever read. The author provides the information is such a way that you want to keep reading about why there are really more than 24 hours in a day. Anyway, it's a great book, very interesting, very well written. Buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: General knowledge only
Review: This book is probably intended for the vast masses that want and look for general information about the universe. The writer indeed contribute a little bit of amazing information about the sizes of stars but many pages are wasted on tidbits which contribute nothing for the science of astronomy. The book is written in light English with not so many words in every page. The diagrams and pictures are of a very low quality and it is very difficult to understand the names of the stars in the diagrams. The pictures are simply disappointing and the paper quality is low as well. The book is as far as possible from a scientific book. Don't come closer to this book if you are after the science of astronomy.
Rating:
Summary: Great book on the fundementals of astronomy.
Review: This book was great for me, who wanted a book to explain many different occurences in space and other basic knowledge of the universe. This is necessary for those of you who are just starting the amazing hobby of astronomy.The author also puts in some humor to make this book interesting and worth while.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book on astronomy
Review: This book, written at a very accessible level, is one of my favorite books on astronomy. It's filled with fascinating information on all sorts of amazing things you can see any night you step outside. E.g., did you know that we can see about 3,000 stars with our naked eye? That if you were jogging on the surface of the moon at 10 miles per hour, you could stay ahead of the line separating the dark and lit portions of the Moon? That the earth spins at 1,040 miles per hour and orbits the sun at 18 miles per second, and that our sun rotates around our galaxy at 200 miles per second, and that our galaxy is moving towards the Andromeda galaxy at 50 miles per second? That interstellar space is less than 3 degrees from the coldest possible temperature? That sunlight takes 8 minutes to get to Earth? If you'd like to know which star (besides the sun)is closest to us and where to find it, or how to locate (by eye) satellites as they orbit the earth, or which star is 25 billion times the size of earth, this is your type of book. Mr. Berman shares the Universe with us in such a way that we feel the same type of awe we did as children. Excellent, excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: A very good book. Very informative, but a little drawn out.
Review: This is a very good book. It has very good descriptions, charts and drawings. It covers many interesting topics. It presents facts and figures that help the reader picture in their mind the distances, power (energy) and the size of celestial objects. Being new to amateur astronomy, one month, I found the book tended to drag at times with facts and information that were a little long winded. For a beginner, the book was very good, but it is not what I expected based on the title.
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